NYPD says 9/11 landing gear wasn't planted or a prank

A handout picture released by New York Police Department April 26, 2013 shows part of a landing gear, apparently from one of the commercial airliners destroyed on September 11, 2001, discovered wedged between the rear of 51 Park Place and the rear of the building behind it, 50 Murray Street in lower Manhattan.New York Police Department

NEW YORK — The story behind a 5-foot chunk of airplane debris found near the World Trade Center and believed to be from one of the planes that hit the towers on 9/11 is stirring up some debate.

Police say the relic landed in a narrow alley about 18 inches wide between the rear of 50 Murray St. and the back of 51 Park Place could not have been placed there deliberately, NBC reports.

Initially, New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said police would look into whether the debris was placed in the alley because rope was intertwined with part of the gear and there were no marks on the building indicating impact, NBC reported.

"If you see how confined this space is and you realize the chaos that existed down here on this street, it's not surprising," Kelly said. "No cleanup went on in this 18-inch space between these two buildings."

But the site where the debris was found is also where a mosque and community center have been proposed and an attorney for the site's owner, Adam Leitman Bailey told the New York Post he thinks the landing gear was planted.

“It was absolutely planted and I’m happy to go on air saying so,” he said, adding that thousands of people have protested in the area against the planned community center.

Asked why he thought someone would have planted it, he said: “Let me think, I got over 5,000 hate e-mails. I got sued personally twice. I have blogs against me. So any number of them could have done it.”

The site's owner, Sharif El-Gamal said the real-estate lawyer had no authority to speak on behalf of the property.

“We are cooperating fully with the appropriate authorities to make sure this piece of evidence is removed with care as quickly and effectively as possible.”